The Federal Government says Nigeria could declare the current Ebola outbreak over by December 7, 2026, if no new confirmed or probable cases are detected and the country meets the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) requirements.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, disclosed this on Monday in a post on his X handle.
Pate explained that the proposed date would depend on contact monitoring and validation of the mandatory 42-day countdown by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and the WHO.
He, however, warned that the timeline remained provisional, noting that the detection of another case would restart the countdown in line with WHO guidelines.
The Federal Government confirmed an Ebola case in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on October 20, 2026.
According to the WHO, the patient had recently travelled from Uganda, developed symptoms on October 7 and sought medical attention on October 11 before the infection was confirmed.
The NCDC said on Sunday that it was monitoring 53 primary contacts linked to the confirmed case as part of efforts to prevent further transmission.
Under WHO guidelines, an Ebola outbreak can be declared over after 42 consecutive days without a new confirmed case, provided all other requirements for ending transmission are met.
Pate said the government’s immediate priority was to monitor identified contacts and strengthen preparedness across health facilities to contain the outbreak.
Meanwhile, the infected Nigerian patient and her husband were medically evacuated to Switzerland on Monday.
The minister said the patient’s condition had improved significantly, describing her as stable, conscious and able to communicate, while her laboratory results were approaching baseline levels.
In a statement on Monday, the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health said the patient was receiving treatment at Geneva University Hospital, while her husband, identified as a close contact, was isolated at Zurich University Hospital.
The Swiss authorities said the situation posed no public health risk to the country, adding that both hospitals had specialised isolation facilities and trained personnel to manage infectious diseases such as Ebola.
The agency also said it was working with the hospitals and relevant cantonal authorities to coordinate the response.
